Bear Essential News April 2019, Phoenix Edition

Summer

Bear

April 2019 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com

40 YEARS!

CAMPS! Pages 16–22

essential news

®

Our Future with Artificial Intelligence

In This Picture: Find a magnet, a butterfly, a drop of rain, an apple, a magnifying glass, a tree leaf, a baseball, a colored egg, a kite and the word CAMPS.

FEATURE

NEWS

FAMILIES NEWS

A.I. and the Future

MLB Star Retires

Explore Outdoors!

How will it shape our lives? pages 12 & 13

Spotlight on Earth Day News Highlights page 5

Arizona awesomeness page 5

CONTEST

S cience City Excites

& more news kids can use Scoops pages 7, 8 & 9

W in P asses

for Uptown Jungle!

Page 14

2

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

Let’s Go...

VALLEY METRO! What Fuels Valley Metro Did you know that Valley Metro uses many resources to get people around town on their city buses and light rail trains?

At Valley Metro, our main job is to transport people safely around the city. We also need to take care of the Earth by helping to make it a healthier planet.

One way we do this is by using different types of fuels and electricity to run the city buses and light rail trains. Valley Metro fuels most city buses with natural gas fuels called CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). A smaller number of city buses run on ultra-low sulfur diesel with particulate soot traps that help catch some pollutants.

So, what is natural gas? Natural gas is a fossil fuel, a mixture of hydrocarbon gases that occurs naturally beneath the Earth's surface. It is an abundant, low-emission, low-cost alternative for fuels like gasoline and diesel.

CNG and LNG fuel are cleaner burning fuels. The main difference The electricity is distributed to the overhead wires through the between these two types of fuel is the V-shaped pantograph on the top of the light rail trains. way they are stored and transported.

Bike and Ride!

Another great way to help keep the air clean is by riding your bike.

Did you know that all transit vehicles have bicycle racks? Well, they do!

April happens to be Valley Bike Month so have a fun but safe time whenever you bike and ride with Valley Metro!

For tips on bringing bikes on buses and trains, check out

• Compressed Natural gas or CNG is stored and transported under high pressure in its gaseous form, making it lighter than air.

• Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG is natural gas transformed into a liquid by extreme cooling and stored at freezing temperatures too.

Electricity powers the light rail trains to go. The overhead wiring system of the train provides high voltage electrical power to move the train down the track. The Traction Power Substations change the higher-voltage energy supplied by the utility company into lower-voltage direct current that the trains need to run. There are substations all along the light rail train route.

The blue and white CNG logo on the back of the bus lets everyone know how the bus is powered.

We will keep the tanks full and the electricity on for your next transit trip around town. Have a fun and safe time where ever you go! What, you want to know how fast the city bus and trains go? The speed limit of course!

For more information

A low floor Valley Metro bus with CNG fuel tanks on the top of the roof

602.253.5000 valleymetro.org

www.valleymetro.org/riding-bikes

Things to Know— Fill In the Blank!

• You are responsible for _______________ and unloading your bicycle.

• Load your bike as ______________ as possible while other passengers are boarding.

• _______________ it up! Make sure your bike is secured.

• To safeguard your bike, lock the wheels to the bike _________ .

• To help bus drivers, let them know you’re exiting from the _________ door and let them know you’re getting your bike off the rack.

• Valley Metro bike racks are on all city buses and trains throughout ________ _________ . frame • front • loading • Metro Phoenix quickly • Lock

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

BEAR 40 YEARS

3

Spring Events for the Family!

Are you looking for some fun, family-friendly egg hunts?

Here are a few that Bear Essential News thinks you will enjoy!

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free Easter Egg Hunt at Enchanted Island Saturday, April 20, 2019 Free for all Ages: 1-10

Age-appropriate hunts starting at 10 a.m. for ages 1–10 (each age group will start approximately 20 minutes later).

Arrive early as all children must register and receive an age-appropriate stamp (Registration is FREE.) 40 Grand Prize eggs ($3,000 value in grand prize eggs) Bring your own basket. Easter Bunny available for pictures (9 a.m.–3 p.m.)

www.enchantedisland.com/index.php/events/easter

The Great Egg Hunt and Family Fair Odysea in the Desert Saturday, April 20, 2019

Enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt with Grand Prizes! Meet and take professional photos with the Easter Bunny ($5 per photo)! We will also be featuring a live DJ in center stage and the Dino Bunny will be coming out for a special appearance as well, courtesy of Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs. The kids can enjoy the Bounce Houses, Slides, Face Painting, Coloring Contest and Easter Crafts!! www.odyseainthedesert.com/event/the-great-egg-huntand-family-fair/

Shamrock Farms

Egg Hunt and Adventure April 13-14, 2019

Hop on down to the farm for Roxie's Easter Egg Hunt on Sat., April 13 and Sun., April 14! Fun for the whole family, visitors can get up close and personal with 10,000 cows and learn about how our pure, fresh milk gets from the farm to table.

Easter tour activities include: Egg hunt at Roxie's Outdoor Adventure.

Visits with the Easter Bunny and Roxie, Face painting, Easter Bunny craft and more! www.shamrockfarms.net/our-farm/events/easter-egghunt/

Vertuccio Farms Easter Egg-Sperience

Saturday, April 20, 2019

There is no better way to celebrate spring than a day on the farm! If you haven't been out to our annual Easter Egg-sperience yet, you don't want to miss this. All our favorite farm play structures, an egg hunt, furry-farm animals to visit, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and a train ride are all included with admission! www.vertucciofarms.com/events/

33rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt At WILDLIFE WORLD ZOO, AQUARIUM & SAFARI PARK

Wildlife World has been pleased to host a children's Easter Egg Hunt every Easter weekend for 33 years!

Enjoy searching for eggs in the area next to the petting zoo, playground and train station at the Zoo's northeast corner. Egg Hunts will be held on both Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. for children 7 years and under and at 3:30 p.m. for all children. The Easter Egg Hunt is free with paid admission. www.wildlifeworld.com/33rd-annual-easter-egg-hunt-atwildlife-world-zoo-aquarium-safari-park/

4

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

Tooth

Talk!

Have you visited Bearessentialnews.com lately?

Presented by

Not only can you read the issue online, you can check out our current contests, look through our Birthday, Summer Camp and Field Trip Guides and more!

BRACES

CHECK-UP!

$ 99

EXAM, X-RAY & CLEANINGS

35

$

a month

(for patients without insurance)

www.KidzConnextion.com • 480-725-8413 524 E. Baseline Rd. South Phoenix

2046 N. 24th St. Central Phoenix

2533 N. 75th Ave. West Phoenix

Teachers will find valuable information under the teacher tab. You can print work sheets that correspond with the current issue of Bear; you can learn how to request a free classroom presentation, and under the Young Reporter tab you can learn about the Young Reporter Program and print forms to get your students signed up to become Young Reporters.

And don’t forget to check out our Facebook page, too!

Get Treatment EARLY! Early orthodontic treatment can minimize more extensive treatment later on in life. The first visit to your orthodontist should take place before you’re eight. There are a number of different types of bites that need to be considered for treatment.

www.facebook. com/bearnews

The following situations may require an orthodontic exam as soon as possible:

• difficulty chewing.

• jaws that pop or click.

• thumb sucking.

• open mouth breathing.

• spacing of teeth.

• crowding of teeth.

Remember to brush after eating all those snacks!

www.KidzConnextion.com

Our son’s overall SIRRI experience has been very positive. When given a verbal direction, he is now less likely to respond with “Huh?” or “What?” His teachers say that he seems less stressed, his frustration level with school work has decreased, and his grades are steadily rising. He is more aware of the things going on around him, and seems very comfortable with himself. *Age 12 - Auditory Processing Disorder

• Autism • ADHD/ADD • Birth Trauma • Behavioral Problems • Developmental Delays • Acquired Brain Injury • Learning Disabilities • Sensory Processing Disorder SIRRI offers the Sensory Learning Progam, an innovative, drug-free, multisensory approach to developmental learning that works to improve perception,understanding and the ability to learn.

PEAK PERFORMANCE

4515 S. McClintock Drive, Suite 208 Tempe, AZ 85282

Call (480) 777-7075 for Assessment or FREE Consultation • SIRRIAZ.com

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

B

News Highlights

Legendary Ichiro Steps Off the Field

April 2019 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

Earth Day Is April 22

5

Happy Earth Day—a special day when all of us should focus on the importance of Ichiro played with the Mariners until 2012 and Ichiro Suzuki, one of baseball’s greatest players, our planet and what we can do to improve then played for the New York Yankees and the Miami returned home to Japan where his career began to its health.

Marlins. He returned to the Mariners in 2018. In his 19play his final game and announce his retirement.

Earth Day was created in 1970 in hopes year MLB career, he was a 10-time All Star and picked On March 21, Ichiro played the first eight innings of bringing about environmental reform in up 3,089 hits—on top of the 1,278 hits in the opening series at the Tokyo Dome before America. It began in the United States with he had during his career in Japan. walking off the field for the final schools celebrating—20 million students, One question on everyone’s mind time. The 45-year-old player teachers and parents! Today more than a was what Ichiro plans to do next. received a standing ovation as billion people from 192 countries are expect“I think it’s going to take some his teammates met him on ed to celebrate Earth Day in some way! time to really think back, but I’m the field with applause The inspiration for Earth Day was a tergoing to work out tomorrow.” Reportand hugs. rible oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, ers and Ichiro’s teammates laughed After the game, Ichiro spoke Calif., in 1969. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, from because his work ethic is WORLD to reporters and teammates Wisconsin, was so horrified by the spill, he RENOWNED. “I don’t think I’m through an interpreter. went back to Washington, D.C., and progoing to spend some time on the “For me, it doesn’t get better couch, but I’m going to continue than tonight. Nothing can top to do what I do,” he continued what happened tonight for me,” Facts about Earth Day with a smile. he said when asked why he anThe Big Day: April 22 One thing he was certain nounced his plans when he did.

Founder: Sen. Gaylord about is that he would like to Ichiro began his professional Nelson & Harvard student Denis Hayes continue contributing to the baseball career in Japan in 1992.

First Earth Day: April 22, In 2001, he came to play for the game.

1970, 20 million participants “It’s tough to think about it Seattle Mariners. Many people Earth Day Today: Over a right now,” Ichiro said. “But all were unsure whether he could billion participants in more rs ine ar M tle at Se n VanHouten, the things that I’ve learned, if make the transition, but he grew Be of than 192 countries sy te ur photo co I could share that with kids or from a young talent to a standout major-league players. I want to do something. If I player and into an icon of the game over his 19 years posed Earth Day. He chose Harvard student could be of any help, that’s what I would like to do.” in Major League Baseball, MLB. Denis Hayes to organize the nationwide event. Out of Nelson’s idea sprang other legislation designed to protect our environment. The Clean Air Act was later created which have a variety of different activities, including Now’s the perfect time to explore the outdoors with to protect the air we breathe. It includes hiking trails,” Sliwa points out. East of Phoenix is Lost family and friends! regulations to protect our water, wild lands Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction. It offers Ken Sliwa, community relations administrator for and the ocean. fantastic hiking, gorgeous flowers and has lots of Arizona State Parks & Trails, says when it comes to Earth Day activities around the world are special events like star gazing. the outdoors, Arizona is outstanding. “It’s a beautiful still organized by Hayes through his Earth Along I-10 is state. There are amazing natural wonders out here Day Network. It promotes international Picacho Peak for the entire family, great history and a lot of great awareness of many environmental issues.

State Park. recreation opportunities,” he notes.

Scientists and dedicated environmentalists “Right now And whether you want to splash around in a lake, urge us to change our lifestyles and to conit’s the #1 be up in the snow, camp, hike, fish or photograph tinue research for alternative fuel sources. destination spectacular views, our state has something for you!

What causes global warming? While scifor seeing A lot of this has to do with Arizona’s dramatic entists are still researching the causes, we wildflowers changes in elevation and varied temperatures. do know that an increase of methane gas “Arizona’s really diverse. There are so many choices— around here,” and carbon dioxide has contributed to global Sliwa says. you could literally go skiing in the morning, be hiking warming. Crowded highways cause more Around Tucson there’s Catalina State Park with its in the afternoon and then enjoy a cabin by the lake than traffic headaches—all those cars are hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping and other fun. in the evening,” Sliwa points out. And wildflowers are putting more carbon dioxide into the air.

And for water recreation, there’s Patagonia Lake and booming and blooming all over the state!

Global warming is when the Earth’s All sorts of wildlife is out and about these days, too. Roper Lake state parks, which also offer cabins to rent. temperature, and the temperature of the Be prepared! Sliwa says wear a hat, sunscreen and Sliwa notes the connection between Earth Day and oceans, rises. The rising temperatures can the right shoes, and bring plenty of water and pack food. the mission of our State Parks & Trails. A big part of it cause floods and affect the weather. ScienALWAYS be aware of your surroundings, he says. is about STEWARDSHIP, how we care for, preserve tists are concerned about melting glaciers For planning an outdoor adventure, start with the and utilize our environment and natural resources so and rising ocean levels. website: https:azstateparks.gov. In Phoenix, you can they’re around for future generations as well. visit the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Center.

Arizona has “15 recreation parks around the state,

Get Ready, Set, Explore Arizona!

6

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

April Is

Valley Bike Month Get the family out for a ride!

• Ride WITH the traffic.

• Obey all traffic laws and signs.

• STOP at Red Lights and Stop Signs.

Wear Wear bright bright clothes clothes at at night. night.

Use Use headlights headlights and and reflectors. reflectors.

Signal for Stops & Turns Bicyclist is facing away from you

LEFT

Keeping Teachers Teaching

Foundation

STOP

RIGHT

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Get the Scoop!

Science City Hosted Free Science Fun

by Reporters Roman Ballew, Gabriel Blanchard & Devon Ristuccia Fountain Hills Charter School At the Arizona SciTech Institute’s Science City in Tucson on March 2 and 3, we attended several free field trips. It was exciting to learn about science.

We toured a hydroponics greenhouse at the University of Arizona. The college students, with help from their professors, developed and built the greenhouse on a rooftop. They planted cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, cucumbers and some peppers. They use an electronic toothbrush to pollinate the plants because there are no bees or insects inside the greenhouse to pollinate. Every week they harvest vegetables and put them in the student food bank so students have free fresh food to eat. We were surprised by how big the plants get.

The plants grow up strings that reach the ceiling of the greenhouse. When the plants reach the top, the students unwind more string and move the bottom of the vines to the side so the plants can grow even more. The vines were about 25 feet long!

We visited Flandrau Science Center where we learned about sharks, Earth’s “critical zone” (connections between water, soil, plants, and animals), and space. We played the Water Cycle Challenge, Shark Racer and other games. We liked the hands-on displays, especially the one that showed a comparison of how much a can would weigh on different planets based on their gravity. We learned about the giant asteroid Bennu—which is larger than the Pentagon, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid of Giza, and the Empire State Building. They had a Human Sundial in front of the center where if you stand on the line for the date, your shadow will point to the time.

Photo by Rigoberto H. Valencia, courtesy of the University of Arizona

At the UofA’s Gem & Mineral Museum they had a lot of gold, precious metals, petrified wood, and different types of minerals with various colorations that we never knew existed. Our favorites were the different mixtures and the interesting natural formations. One of them looked kind of like a dog. We were able to touch iron meteorites that fell to Earth in Arizona. One of the meteorites, known as “The Ring,” weighs 1,400 pounds and was used as an anvil in the past. The museum also has a section with fossils, such as trilobites, where we played a game to learn more about how fossils are formed.

We also toured the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab, which is located under the football stadium. The lab creates the largest and most advanced telescope mirrors in the world. They showed us how they heat and spin the melted glass in giant casts/molds and how they use special honeycomb structures inside the mirrors.

MORE SCIENCE CITY, page 8 ➧

Butterfly Wonderland Celebrates Carle Book

by Reporter Brett Eymann Transitions Delta Center The book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is turning 50 years old. In celebration of this, Butterfly Wonderland partnered with Penguin Publishing and Eric Carle, the author of the book, to create a special exhibit. The exhibit runs now until the end of August.

This special exhibit has displays and activities that are fun for both kids and parents.

There will be live caterpillars and some other creations that Carle illustrated in some of his books.

You can see giant storybook

pages from “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” take selfies or family pictures in front of many colorful backdrops, and collect trading cards and so much more.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is a children’s picture book that was first published in 1969. Over the years the book has captivated many generations of kids and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The story is about a hungry caterpillar who eats his way through the garden. The book is educational with easy to read words, numbers, days of the week, food items and the life stages of a butterfly.

BEAR 40 YEARS

7

News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids Girl Scouts Celebrate Over 100 Years

by Reporter Miliana Valenzuela Arizona Desert Elementary “On my honor, I will try”…Girl Scouts are 2.5 million strong, and according to Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, there are more than 1.7 girls and 750,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) to change the world.

Ms. Macaluso, co-leader of Daisy Girl Scout Troop 6821, became interested in Girl Scouts because she felt it was a great opportunity to improve leadership and organizational skills and build character.

“I became a co-leader because I wanted to be hands-on, model leadership skills, design outings and help encourage girls to blaze new paths. It feels empowering to watch our leaders of tomorrow make decisions that change the lives of others,” says Macaluso.

As a co-leader, Macaluso, allows the girls to make the decisions. They decide how to use their proceeds, which activities to do and badges they want to earn.

“I am there to support where needed,” says Macaluso. “The experience has been life changing and I hope many young girls choose the Girl Scout way.”

For more information on Girl Scouts, contact the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council at 602-452-7000.

Adviser: Karen Golden

MORE SCOOPS, page 8 ➧

REPORT FOR BEAR! Call toll free:

1-866-NEWS KID sponsors

8

BEAR 40 YEARS •

B

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 7

Fun at the Tres Rios Nature Festival

by Reporter Ethan Iñiguez, Homeschool Located in Tres Rios Wetlands, next to the ISM Raceway, March 2–3, the Tres Rios Nature Festival was a place to destroy boredom. A nice sunny day with a cool breeze and lots of fun made it a perfect weekend. The festival had many activities for all ages—archery, fishing, paddle boarding, canoeing, zip lining, hands-on and hands-off exhibits, food, drinks, live music and more!

The first day it was open, my mom, two sisters, and my brother and I came. It was so much fun! All of us went on the canoe. I sat in front paddling, my older sister sat in the middle with my little sister, while mom was in the back. It was pretty funny when I crashed three times! Yes, I’m a bad canoer.

After that, I went on the zipline. The zipline was really high up and crossed over some trees and where the three rivers met. Good thing I’m not afraid of heights or falling in the water. Then I did some archery while my older and little sister and my older brother sat

Now you can! Sign up for our

FREE YOUNG REPORTERS PROGRAM! The Young Reporters Program... gives you the opportunity to become a true reporter and write news stories for Bear Essential News

Our Young Reporters Always Get the Scoop!

Here’s What You Need to Get Started...

To sign up, kids or their teachers can call us toll free:

1-866-NEWS KID (1-866-639-7543) or go to

BearEssentialNews.com to get more info and to print out a sign-up form

down and watched. Luckily, I got to do some archery because I was the last person in line. When it was my turn, I missed two power shots out of five.

After some more walking we went home.

Since the festival goes on for two days, the second time we brought dad.

We went to some of the booths that we didn’t go to the day before, and I interviewed Zack. He works for the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

He showed me a model landscape relatively accurate to our open country parts of Avondale. Zack explained that when we don’t clean up our dog’s poop, and when we use fertilizer before it rains—thinking the rainwater will make the fertilizer work better and faster—all of it will wash down and soon end up in our three rivers: the Agua Fria, Gila and Salt rivers. People swim and fish in these rivers. So most likely the fish will get sick and we don’t want to eat sick fish, do we?

Eventually, we went to go on the canoe, but sadly the line was huge, and it was near the end of the day. So my older brother and I did some archery and got a few good shots, then we left.

We really enjoyed the event and are looking forward to next year.

More Science City Continued from page 7 At the Science City event, we also completed a passport challenge. We needed to go around to each of the different tents, participate in hands-on learning, and then tell the event volunteers what we learned.

Andrew from the University of Arizona’s M.A.C.S. (Marine Awareness & Conservation Society) Club told us a lot of information about sharks. He showed us a dogfish shark that he was dissecting. He taught us about shark anatomy and how we can tell a male and female shark apart. We learned that sharks have oil in their liver to help them float and that the scales on sharks’ skin, called dermal denticles, point backwards to help them swim better.

Different sharks have different dorsal fins depending on how they swim and what they eat. We learned that MORE SCIENCE CITY, page 9 ➧

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

This Comic Book Lets Reader Choose the Adventure

by Reporter Paul Perez, Kiva Elementary “Hocus & Pocus: The Search for the Missing Dwarves” is written and Illustrated by Gorobei. This is not a regular comic book! It’s not a regular book, either. What I liked about this book is what makes it different. The mission is to help Hocus and Pocus find the missing dwarfs and in your traveling you try to collect 35 or more stars. When you’re reading the book, there are three or more magical pets you can use to help you on your adventures. When you get to the bottom of a page there might be a few numbers written on a rock or a tree. You pick one of these numbers and then flip to that page in the book. When you flip you’re hoping to find the dwarfs and the stars, so it matters what page you pick.

But once you flip pages, everything in the adventure can change. There’s a chart in the front of the book where you keep track of the dwarfs and stars that you’ve seen during your adventures.

If you’re successful in getting 35 or more stars, readers get the golden diploma at the end. If they find less, then they still get a diploma, but it’s a green one. So what makes this book so good is you can go on all kinds of adventures and at the end you’ve either succeeded in getting a green or, better yet, a golden diploma. I couldn’t put this book down!

More Science City

Continued from page 8

some sharks give live birth and some lay eggs. Although many sharks need to continuously swim in order to breathe, some sharks have spiracles which pull in oxygenated water over their gills and allows them to rest at the bottom of the ocean. We also learned that sharks have basically an infinite amount of teeth and can replace lost teeth whenever needed.

At the Tucson Audubon Society’s booth, we dissected owl pellets, which are basically the hair balls that owls cough up. They are filled with bones, fur, and other things the owls cannot digest.

One of us (Roman) was brave enough to try a chocolate-covered cricket. It sounds disgusting and most people probably wouldn’t try it, but it was actually pretty good. It tasted kind of like a Kit-Kat bar.

At one of the booths, they used liquid nitrogen to make frozen lemonade. It was cool how they could grab a liquid that was really far below zero. The water wasn’t boiling; the liquid nitrogen was boiling. It was cool how you could freeze lemonade and it would become a smooth, chiseled ice. They gave out free samples. It was really good.

We got to see a real preserved human brain and the bottom of a human spinal cord. The frontal lobe of the brain keeps all the thoughts in your brain.

Another part keeps all of your dreams and nightmares.

We created and launched paper rockets using a contraption made out of PVC pipe and an empty 2-liter soda bottle. We stomped on the bottle to create pressure to launch the rockets. They went really far.

At the Project WET booth, we learned that the water in the mountains drains down into the ground and then people dig down tunnels into the ground and they put tubes and pumps to get our drinking water.

We learned about solar panels, series and parallel circuits, and so many other things at Science City. We hope to attend the event next year.

Adviser: Lisa Ristuccia

BEAR 40 YEARS

9

10

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2019

www.bearessentialnews.com

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

April 2019 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

11

April 2019

_ Our Future with

D

Shutterstock.com

o you ever think about a future where a machine will have a conversation with you or help you make decisions? Do you dream of a not-too-distant future when you have a robot that will do your chores for you? Do you believe that self-driving vehicles will take over most roads before you are old enough to get your driver license? Whether you are hopeful or fearful about a future run by robots, the truth is, that future is already here!

Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., is making human interaction with technology more and more common. Artificial Intelligence is a phrase that computer science pioneer John McCarthy came up with in 1955. A.I. refers to the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. In 1965, McCarthy became the founding director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

You probably already interact with Artificial Intelligence—perhaps every day—and rarely even think about it.

Maybe your home has a Roomba to help tidy the floors, or a smart thermostat to keep temperatures and utility bills under control.

Even families that don’t use a lot of other technology still are likely to use smartphones.

When Siri or Alexa answer your question, when your parents use Google Maps to get you to your ball game, or when Netflix recommends a show or Amazon suggests a book you might like— all of this is possible because of systems that use voice recognition and ones that are programmed to learn about a person’s preferences. But is this kind of A.I. really intelligent?

Shutterstock.com

writes that A.I. will soon become smarter, faster and more human-like.

As A.I. becomes better, smarter and more widely used, it can create questions about how Artificial Intelligence should be used and what it means for people. Some researchers work on the ETHICS of A.I. to answer these questions and try to predict and prevent problems before they occur.

Artificial Intelligence

Some predict that intelligent machines and humanoid robots will be our daily companions in the near future. Do you believe that artificial intelligence will grow to be an important part of our lives?

Guess what? Some types of intelligent machines are already here!

Children’s toys in the 1950s predicted a future where robots would play an important part in everyday life.

www.bearessentialnews.com

Is It Intelligence, Or Is It Programming?

The goal of many engineers and researchers who work in A.I. is to make

machines that think like humans. But are robots and computers truly intelligent?

Are they really learning the same way that a person does?

Autonomous cars, voice recognition software and the other technologies that seem to “think” on their own work because of sensors, programming and algorithms. An algorithm is a set of rules used to perform a task or solve a problem. Algorithms are used by mathematicians and by computers. So, if a machine is following a set of rules input by a human programmer, is it actually learning and thinking?

The bigger and more complex a computer system is, and the less a human interacts with it, the more it does what is called machine learning. This is a type of artificial intelligence where a computer looks at large amounts of data with little human involvement.

In machine learning, the computer system builds models, identifies patterns and makes decisions on its own.

There are tasks that machines are able to ACCOMPLISH more easily than humans—things like compiling large amounts of data, identifying patterns, and seeing things on images like X-rays or scans that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. That’s why the medical field is one of the places that A.I. machines are being used.

Machines can track blood glucose levels. They can detect patterns to diagnose disease. They can be robot companions to help monitor a person’s health and fitness.

Bigger System, Bigger Brain Big businesses and universities work with complex computer systems that are moving toward true intelligence. IBM’s famous Watson competed on the game show “Jeopardy” and defeated some renowned human champions! The kind of A.I. that most people encounter on a day-to-day basis is not quite as intelligent.

Software engineer R.L. Adams writes that the types of A.I. that use voice recognition or learn a person’s preferences are not true A.I. He calls these pseudo-A.I. systems. They use behavioral algorithms to improve skills, but they are not actually getting smarter, he writes.

But Adams does think that pseudo-A.I. is valuable since it can help humans interact with machines more easily. According to Adams, true A.I. can learn on its own to find connections and meaning without pre-defined algorithms. He

Making A.I. That Is Good for People

Photo credit: null0/wikimedia.org

BEAR 40 YEARS •

Shutterstock.com

Page 12

In March this year, Stanford University unveiled the Institute for HumanCentered Artificial Intelligence, or HAI. The goal of the institute is to make sure that A.I. is used for the benefit of humans.

On Stanford’s website, HAI co-directors John Etchemendy and Fei-Fei Li write about why they wanted to start the institute. A few years ago, Etchemendy was the provost at Stanford, and Li was the director of Stanford’s A.I. Lab when they became neighbors. They started discussing their views and concerns about the future of A.I. “The way we educate and promote technology is not inspiring to enough people. So much of the discussion about A.I. is focused narrowly around engineering and algorithms,” Li recalls telling Etchemendy.

“We need a broader discussion: something deeper, something linked to our collective future.

And even more importantly, that broader discussion and mindset will bring us a much more human-centered technology to John McCarthy at Stanford University in 1967. make life better for McCarthy was a computer scientist who coined the term artificial intelligence. He died in 2011. everyone.”

So, HAI was devised to bring the

April 2019

BEAR 40 YEARS

Page 13

humanities and social sciences—and many disciplines—into the conversation about the TRAJECTORY and consequences of A.I.

Marvelous Modern Machines When some people think about A.I., they think of robots that look like humans and can do many of the things that humans can do. They imagine robots like the ones they see in television shows and movies. However, most of these “robots” are played by human actors or are created by special Sophia is A.I. research and living effects or animation. But there are science fiction. some robots that have been made to closely resemble humans.

At Hanson Robotics, engineers have created a robot called Sophia. Sophia has a walking body and a human-like face. She can recognize faces and look for emotional expressions. Sophia uses natural language processing to interact with people and have regular conversations.

Sophia’s creators at Hanson Robotics say she is both an A.I. research project and a kind of living science fiction. Sophia derives her name from the Greek word for wisdom. She has appeared on television shows and at conventions.

Hanson Robotics founder David Hanson worked as a Walt Disney Imagineer and wrote the book “Humanizing Robots.” Hanson has invented new skin materials and facial mechanisms to make his robots more expressive and humanlike. Hanson and his team want their robots to have warm, emotional interactions with the people they encounter. They create robots that can work in medical therapy, education, customer service and more.

One of Hanson Robotics’ latest creations is Little Sophia. This 14-inch tall robot is like the younger sibling of the bigger Sophia. Little Sophia is made to be a companion robot for children 7 and older. She can walk, talk, sing, tell jokes, and she is programmable.

Little Sophia aims to teach kids about STEM, coding and A.I. Little Sophia should be available to the public by the end of 2019.

Robotics & A.I. Terms

What Can A.I. Do for YOU?

Algorithm: set of rules to perform a task or solve a problem (especially for a computer)

What do you imagine that A.I. machines or robots will do for you in the future? What will tomorrow look like?

Tell us your idea in a short description, or draw an illustration of what the future may hold for humans-machine interaction.

You could win a fabulous prize!

See page 14 for contest details and to enter to win.

Autonomous: self-contained; existing or being able to exist independently Big Data: large sets of data analyzed by computer to find patterns and trends Chatbot: a computer program or an artificial intelligence made to converse, sometimes in text Humanoid: having the appearance or characteristics of a human Machine learning: a branch of artificial intelligence where computer systems learn using data with little human intervention

•

Shutterstock.com

Good luck!

April 2019

_ Our Future with

D

Shutterstock.com

o you ever think about a future where a machine will have a conversation with you or help you make decisions? Do you dream of a not-too-distant future when you have a robot that will do your chores for you? Do you believe that self-driving vehicles will take over most roads before you are old enough to get your driver license? Whether you are hopeful or fearful about a future run by robots, the truth is, that future is already here!

Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., is making human interaction with technology more and more common. Artificial Intelligence is a phrase that computer science pioneer John McCarthy came up with in 1955. A.I. refers to the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. In 1965, McCarthy became the founding director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

You probably already interact with Artificial Intelligence—perhaps every day—and rarely even think about it.

Maybe your home has a Roomba to help tidy the floors, or a smart thermostat to keep temperatures and utility bills under control.

Even families that don’t use a lot of other technology still are likely to use smartphones.

When Siri or Alexa answer your question, when your parents use Google Maps to get you to your ball game, or when Netflix recommends a show or Amazon suggests a book you might like— all of this is possible because of systems that use voice recognition and ones that are programmed to learn about a person’s preferences. But is this kind of A.I. really intelligent?

Shutterstock.com

writes that A.I. will soon become smarter, faster and more human-like.

As A.I. becomes better, smarter and more widely used, it can create questions about how Artificial Intelligence should be used and what it means for people. Some researchers work on the ETHICS of A.I. to answer these questions and try to predict and prevent problems before they occur.

Artificial Intelligence

Some predict that intelligent machines and humanoid robots will be our daily companions in the near future. Do you believe that artificial intelligence will grow to be an important part of our lives?

Guess what? Some types of intelligent machines are already here!

Children’s toys in the 1950s predicted a future where robots would play an important part in everyday life.

www.bearessentialnews.com

Is It Intelligence, Or Is It Programming?

The goal of many engineers and researchers who work in A.I. is to make

machines that think like humans. But are robots and computers truly intelligent?

Are they really learning the same way that a person does?

Autonomous cars, voice recognition software and the other technologies that seem to “think” on their own work because of sensors, programming and algorithms. An algorithm is a set of rules used to perform a task or solve a problem. Algorithms are used by mathematicians and by computers. So, if a machine is following a set of rules input by a human programmer, is it actually learning and thinking?

The bigger and more complex a computer system is, and the less a human interacts with it, the more it does what is called machine learning. This is a type of artificial intelligence where a computer looks at large amounts of data with little human involvement.

In machine learning, the computer system builds models, identifies patterns and makes decisions on its own.

There are tasks that machines are able to ACCOMPLISH more easily than humans—things like compiling large amounts of data, identifying patterns, and seeing things on images like X-rays or scans that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. That’s why the medical field is one of the places that A.I. machines are being used.

Machines can track blood glucose levels. They can detect patterns to diagnose disease. They can be robot companions to help monitor a person’s health and fitness.

Bigger System, Bigger Brain Big businesses and universities work with complex computer systems that are moving toward true intelligence. IBM’s famous Watson competed on the game show “Jeopardy” and defeated some renowned human champions! The kind of A.I. that most people encounter on a day-to-day basis is not quite as intelligent.

Software engineer R.L. Adams writes that the types of A.I. that use voice recognition or learn a person’s preferences are not true A.I. He calls these pseudo-A.I. systems. They use behavioral algorithms to improve skills, but they are not actually getting smarter, he writes.

But Adams does think that pseudo-A.I. is valuable since it can help humans interact with machines more easily. According to Adams, true A.I. can learn on its own to find connections and meaning without pre-defined algorithms. He

Making A.I. That Is Good for People

Photo credit: null0/wikimedia.org

BEAR 40 YEARS •

Shutterstock.com

Page 12

In March this year, Stanford University unveiled the Institute for HumanCentered Artificial Intelligence, or HAI. The goal of the institute is to make sure that A.I. is used for the benefit of humans.

On Stanford’s website, HAI co-directors John Etchemendy and Fei-Fei Li write about why they wanted to start the institute. A few years ago, Etchemendy was the provost at Stanford, and Li was the director of Stanford’s A.I. Lab when they became neighbors. They started discussing their views and concerns about the future of A.I. “The way we educate and promote technology is not inspiring to enough people. So much of the discussion about A.I. is focused narrowly around engineering and algorithms,” Li recalls telling Etchemendy.

“We need a broader discussion: something deeper, something linked to our collective future.

And even more importantly, that broader discussion and mindset will bring us a much more human-centered technology to John McCarthy at Stanford University in 1967. make life better for McCarthy was a computer scientist who coined the term artificial intelligence. He died in 2011. everyone.”

So, HAI was devised to bring the

April 2019

BEAR 40 YEARS

Page 13

humanities and social sciences—and many disciplines—into the conversation about the TRAJECTORY and consequences of A.I.

Marvelous Modern Machines When some people think about A.I., they think of robots that look like humans and can do many of the things that humans can do. They imagine robots like the ones they see in television shows and movies. However, most of these “robots” are played by human actors or are created by special Sophia is A.I. research and living effects or animation. But there are science fiction. some robots that have been made to closely resemble humans.

At Hanson Robotics, engineers have created a robot called Sophia. Sophia has a walking body and a human-like face. She can recognize faces and look for emotional expressions. Sophia uses natural language processing to interact with people and have regular conversations.

Sophia’s creators at Hanson Robotics say she is both an A.I. research project and a kind of living science fiction. Sophia derives her name from the Greek word for wisdom. She has appeared on television shows and at conventions.

Hanson Robotics founder David Hanson worked as a Walt Disney Imagineer and wrote the book “Humanizing Robots.” Hanson has invented new skin materials and facial mechanisms to make his robots more expressive and humanlike. Hanson and his team want their robots to have warm, emotional interactions with the people they encounter. They create robots that can work in medical therapy, education, customer service and more.

One of Hanson Robotics’ latest creations is Little Sophia. This 14-inch tall robot is like the younger sibling of the bigger Sophia. Little Sophia is made to be a companion robot for children 7 and older. She can walk, talk, sing, tell jokes, and she is programmable.

Little Sophia aims to teach kids about STEM, coding and A.I. Little Sophia should be available to the public by the end of 2019.

Robotics & A.I. Terms

What Can A.I. Do for YOU?

Algorithm: set of rules to perform a task or solve a problem (especially for a computer)

What do you imagine that A.I. machines or robots will do for you in the future? What will tomorrow look like?

Tell us your idea in a short description, or draw an illustration of what the future may hold for humans-machine interaction.

You could win a fabulous prize!

See page 14 for contest details and to enter to win.

Autonomous: self-contained; existing or being able to exist independently Big Data: large sets of data analyzed by computer to find patterns and trends Chatbot: a computer program or an artificial intelligence made to converse, sometimes in text Humanoid: having the appearance or characteristics of a human Machine learning: a branch of artificial intelligence where computer systems learn using data with little human intervention

•

Shutterstock.com

Good luck!

BEAR 40 YEARS •

Artifi cial Intelligence

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

CONTEST

What Can A.I. Do for You?

Send in your A.I. idea and be entered to win a 90 minutes FREE Guest Pass from Uptown Jungle.

10 lucky winners!

What can A.I., or Artificial Intelligence, do for you now and in the future?

Do you already use some type of A.I.? You probably do. Just pick up a phone or open a laptop, and you are likely to be using some programs or apps that employ A.I.

Shutterstock.com

14

Examples of AI you might commonly see:

W

hat do you want a computer or robot to be able to do for you?

How do you think A.I. can help you in the future? Draw a picture or write a description of your idea of a future robot and what it can do!!!

Google fills in your search for you.

A Roomba cleans the floor.

Netflix or Spotify recommend something you might like.

Siri or Alexa answer a question for you.

Photo programs group images based on facial recognition.

Send your entry to:

Bear Essential News/A.I. Contest 2525 E. Broadway Blvd. #102 Tucson, AZ 85716 Entry Deadline: May 15, 2019

Name: _______________________________ Age: _____

Address: ________________________________________ City: __________________________ ZIP: _____________ Tel: ___________________ School: _________________

Parent’s Email: ___________________________________

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

BEAR 40 YEARS

15

Join Us for the Popular Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium Easter Egg Hunt!

Saturday, April 20 & Sunday, April 21, 2019

Participation in the annual Easter Egg Hunt is FREE with paid admission to Wildlife World Zoo!

Children 7 & under at 1:30 p.m. • Kids 8–12 at 3:30 p.m.

Aquarium

•

Zoo

•

Safari Park

•

Dragon World

•

Adventure Land

It’s an Endangered Penguin Baby Boom at Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium!

There is an endangered penguin baby boom taking place at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park. The park rang in the New Year celebrating the recent births of two endangered African penguin chicks, and the celebration continues as two more chicks just hatched!

These are significant births for Wildlife World, as well as for animal conservation worldwide, as this endangered species is at serious risk of extinction! Wildlife World has been home to endangered black-footed penguins for decades and continues to experience great success with their endangered penguin breeding program, having raised six babies in the past six months!

Like many other species of birds, penguins usually stagger the laying of (two) eggs over several days to better ensure at least one chick survives. The chicks are about a week apart in age, and at 2 weeks old, they are noticeably different in size and are being well cared for and fed by both parents. In the wild, if the oldest

chick thrives, the younger chick often does not, given its size disadvantage at feeding time. To ensure the survival of both chicks, Wildlife World’s expert penguin team weighs and closely monitors the chicks’ health to ensure both are growing and getting enough nutrition.

Black-footed penguins are found on the southern and southwestern coasts of Africa. They are also referred to as African or jackass penguins due to their unique call that sounds similar to a donkey’s bray!

The biggest threats to wild penguin populations are declining food supplies, predation from land animals, pollution such as oil spills, and coastal habitat destruction affecting their nest sites.

Wildlife World strives to maximize genetic diversity in the zoological population with their breeding programs.

START With more than 600 species and 6,000 animals on display, there’s always new arrivals at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park!

For more information: 623-935-WILD (9453) or visit us on facebook, Instagram or Twitter @zoowildlife, and wildlifeworld.com

n 8 acre additio . ark to our Safari P ! s u in Come jo

•

Do the dot-to-dot to discover what chicks hatched this year!

Mining Experience 49

48 47

46

50

45 44

43

51

42

52

41 40

10

9

11 12

8

53

39 38 36

14

7 6

32 31

15 16

5

35 33

55

34

30

17

4

54

37

13

56

29

58

28

3 2 1

18 23 19

59

27 20 21

24 22

26

57

60

FINISH

25

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is located at 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ (SE corner of State Route 303 and Northern Ave.) We’re open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including all holidays. Zoo exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (last zoo admission is at 4:30 p.m.) Aquarium exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daytime admission includes access to the zoo, aquarium and safari park.

e l i m S

Wild

16

BEAR 40 YEARS •

Summer

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

CAMPS! GUIDE 2019

See pages ?? thru ??

It’s hard to believe that it was just last month when Arizona saw record-setting snowfall. There was snow on the ground in many places around the state— spots that rarely see the chilly white stuff. Maybe you had the chance to build a snowman or throw a snowball at your siblings or friends. Despite the delight many desert dwellers took in the once-in-a-decade winter wonderland, now temperatures are pretty much back to normal and, hard to believe, but summer is just around the corner!

What are your plans for the summer months? How will you occupy your time, keep your mind sharp and keep your cool when the temperatures really start to rise? One way to stay active and engaged is to attend one or more fabulous summer camps!

Now is the perfect time to start checking out the wide variety of summer camps available and making your plans for a great camp experience. Bear’s Summer Camps! 2019 Guide will help you choose the right summer camp for you and your family. You’ll find a multitude of fantastic camps in this issue and online.

No matter what your skills, interests or inclinations, there are a variety of summer camps that you are sure to find enticing. You can find camps that specialize in the arts, sports, academics and more.

You can go away to an overnight camp for a more traditional camp experience, or you can find traditional camp activities or a range of specialized pursuits in dozens of diverse day camps.

Keep your cool this summer—head to a temperate clime for a residential camp, or take advantage of camps in town that have indoor facilities or those that make the most of the more moderate morning hours. Or take a refreshing dip in the pool at one of the many camps that offer swimming or other water sports.

Shutterstock.com

Warmer weather and the end of school are just around the corner—it's time to think about summer camps! In fact, now is a great time to start researching and planning so that you can have the best summer ever, with a little help from Bear.

Aspiring thespians can go to a summer camp that will immerse you in the theater and make you a star on the summer stage. Several camps let kids can participate in a musical, a straight play, or even improvisation. Singing sensations and twinkle toes tappers and twirlers can find their spotlight, too, at a camp near you. Sing and dance to your heart’s content!

You can hone your sports skills, whatever they may be, at summer camp.

What’s your ball game? Betcha you can find it at camp. Batter up! Make it a super summer with baseball or softball. Spike it over the volleyball net. Go for the smash on the tennis court. Dribble it down the soccer field. Sink it from the free-throw line. Hit the bulls-eye at the archery range. Stick the landing in the gym.

If you don’t have one sport that’s close to your heart, summer camp is a great place to try a number of different sports and activities.

For animal lovers, there are camps that will get you up close and cuddling with domestic or farm critters. Go wild with a zoo camp, or saddle up for one of many horseback camps offered around town.

If STEM or STEAM get you excited about science, there’s a camp for you.

If you’re a LEGO master builder, or aspire to be one, there’s a camp for you. If you would rather build out of clay, there’s a camp for you. If computers light up your circuits, there’s a camp for you. If you want to get cooking, in the kitchen or with a new invention, there’s a camp for you.

Paint your masterpiece, try a new craft, go bowling, fly down a zip line, improve language and literacy and more. There are so many summer adventures waiting for you!

Some camps offer scholarships, sibling discounts or early-bird discounts.

Contact the camps that you are interested in to find out more.

Look over the many offerings in Bear’s Summer Camps! 2019 Guide to find the best camp for you. Summer camp listings can be found in this issue, starting on page 17. You can also find the Summer Camp Guide online at www.bearessentialnews.com.

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 17

Camp Wasewagan On the River

Black Mountain BMX

Races Every Friday & Saturday Night Sign ups–6:30—7:30 pm Races starts at 8:00 pm

Wed. Night Practice 6:30—8:30 pm

Beginner Clinic!

Enjoy the Excitement of BMX racing— without racing...

VOLUNTEER at the Track!

in Southern California

Join Us for a Fun-Filled Summer!

1 & 2 week options available!

Every Monday, 6:30–8:30 pm • Call for details

Kids choose their own ELECTIVE FIELD TRIP which includes: Stand-up Paddle Boarding, Biking at Big Bear, Roller Skating, Horse Back Riding, A Trip to the Big Bear Zoo and many more...

Race once without a membership.

Must wear long sleeved shirt, long pants, helmet and tennis shoes.

602-938-1108

www.blackmountainbmx.com

Office Phone:

(805) 498-5572 • wasewagan.com

• adventures@wasewagan.com

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Summer 2019 CAMP GUIDE Continued from page 16

ASU—IRA A. FULTON SCHOOLS OF ENGINEERING 501 E Tyler Mall, 85287 • Tempe 480- 965-0100 engineeringoutreach@asu.edu outreach.engineering.asu.edu/summerprograms/

Do you like to build, create, solve problems and learn about science, technology, engineering and math? The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering offer fun and engaging hands-on STEM experiences and summer camps for K-12 students at ASU’s Tempe and Polytechnic campuses.

Ages- 1st – 12th grade Cost- ranges per camp

ARIZONA BROADWAY THEATRE 7701 W. Paradise Lane • Peoria 623- 776-8400 • Kat Barnes kat@azbroadway.org

ABT’s Academy provides children interested in the performing arts the opportunity to explore their creativity and expand their imagination. All classes focus on acting, music and movement instruction. Classes are great for beginners but are also effective

for those with theatre experience. Our qualified staff is excited to TEACH, MENTOR and MONITOR our young performers during their time with us. We pride ourselves on NURTURING the creative minds and artistic thoughts of all young performers!

BLACK MOUNTAIN BMX 24024 N. 11th Street • Phoenix 602-999-5979 blackmountainBMX.com

All ages and experience levels are welcome!

Black Mountain BMX Camps are every Monday 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 602-999-5979 or visit blackmountainBMX.com for full details, location directions and more!

CAMP INVENTION

Multiple Locations Throughout Phoenix and the surrounding area 1-800-968-4332 Grades: K-6 Invent.org/camp Unmask your child’s creativity this summer in the all-new Camp Invention® program, Supercharged™, where children build 21st-century skills and transform their wild imaginations into epic creations. Campers in grades K-6 will code and program futuristic

robots, explore radio frequencies and unearth ancient fossils. Local educators will lead these innovative, hands-on STEM activities that build collaboration and creative problem-solving skills. Visit www.invent.org/camp or call 800-968-4332 to register. Use promo code PLAY15LISTING to save $15 (expires 5/10).

CAMP ZOO AT THE PHOENIX ZOO

455 N. Galvin Pkwy. • Phoenix 602-286-3800 Dates vary: June–July 2019 phoenixzoo.org Families who are already registered for Camp Zoo are welcome to attend one of two orientations. Camp Zoo Orientation: May 30, 5 – 7 p.m. and June 1, Noon – 2 p.m.

Attending an orientation allows you to pick up your Camp Zoo gear early, meet Camp Zoo Instructors and management staff and ask any questions you have about the Camp Zoo experience. Attending an orientation also helps speed up check-in on the first day of camp!

Daily Schedule: Half-Day: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.

Full-Day: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Extended Day: 3:30–6 p.m.

Session 1: June 3 – 7 Session 2: June 10 – 14 Session 3: June 17 – 21 Session 4: June 24 – 28 Session 5: July 1 – 5* Session 6: July 8 – 12 Session 7: July 15 – 19 Session 8: July 22 – 26 *This session is only 4 days long and is priced differently. No camp on July 4.

BEAR 40 YEARS

17

CITY OF TEMPE

EDNA ARTS SUMMER CAMPS Edna Vihel Arts Center • Tempe 3340 S. Rural Rd. 480-350-5287 www.tempe.gov/summer Ages: 6–9. Mon.–Fri, 1–5 p.m.

Ages: 9–13. Mon.–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts, Ceramics. Take one class or stay for all.

KID ZONE: Summer camps are full-day enrichment camps for K-8th graders. Camps are held at several schools throughout Tempe and include field trips, special events and sports.

Flexible 1-5 day schedules range from $70$120/wk. Kid Zone camps are DHS licensed, DES certified and State Accredited.

DAVID RUBIO VOLLEYBALL CAMPS

Tucson • 520-818-8668 Ages: 9–18 Contact: Amanda Rubio davidrubiovolleyballcamp@gmail.com www.davidrubiovolleyballcamp.com Sessions for boys and girls directed by UA Head Coach David Rubio.

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED CAMP: July 6–8. Commuters $300 • Residents $425.

POSITION CAMP: July 9–11 Commuters $300 • Residents $425.

TEAM CAMP—BOYS & GIRLS TEAMS: July 12-14. High school girls and boys teams. Cost: $145 per camper.

DRVC is not an official function of the UA. It is open to all entrants, limited only by space and grade level.

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 18

18

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

ster

Regi

!

Now

3839 W. Indian School Rd.

Indoor Soccer FUN—All Summer!

Basic Skills Program for ages 2–5

$60 / 8 weeks: June 1–July 26 for ages 5–14

May 10–August 11 • ($745 per team) For information call (602) 269-6766 or

(602) 272-2938

www.pscsoccer.com soccerlocker.net

2019 CAMP GUIDE Continued from page 17

Includes a shirt with child’s name

Youth Indoor Soccer League

Summer EAST VALLEY CHILDREN’S THEATRE Summer Theatre Camps

Sign Up Now!

First come, first serve Upon registration, get 15% discount from Soccer Locker, located inside indoor facility.

4501 E. Main St. • Mesa 480-756-3828 www.evct.org info@evct.org

Theatre Workshop Camp: June 3-14 (Mon.Fri) A different theater topic every day. Take one-day, one-week or two-weeks of classes 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Ages 8-15 Imagination Theatre Camp: June 3-14 (Mon.-Fri.) An introduction to musical theater performance for ages 5-8. Classes 9 a.m. noon with a performance on the final day of camp.

Musical Theatre Camp at EVCT: June 17-28 and July 8-19 (Mon.-Fri.) Ages: 8-15 Learn skills in acting, singing and dancing while having fun! Full day, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; 1/2 day, 8:30 a.m.-noon or 12:30-4 p.m. available for each two week session.

Performance on the last day of camp.

Registration and more info at www.evct.org or call (480) 756-3828.

FLIP DUNK SPORTS

1515 E. Bethany Home Rd. #160 • Phoenix

602-277-0067 May–Aug. (Mon.–Fri.) Type: Day flipdunksports.com Not only are we the BEST trampoline park in town, but we also offer a one-of-a-kind camp experience for ages 3 and up. Whether you choose our “Wiggles and Giggles” camp for 3-5 year olds or our “Going Bananas” camp for 5 and up, your kids will enjoy a wide selection of activities. They will include: open jumping, bungees, dodgeball, relay races, obstacle courses, rope swing, scooter races, snacks and FUN with an energetic counselor. Half day or full day options available. More information at flipdunksports.com Ages: 3-12.

FRIENDLY PINES CAMP

933 E. Friendly Pines Road • Prescott 928-445-2128 May 25–July 20 Ages: 6–13 info@friendlypines.com www.friendlypines.com Friendly Pines Camp is nestled in the tall, cool pines of the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott, Arizona. For 78 summers, Friendly Pines Camp has been helping turning childhood moments into life’s rich memories.

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Washington Campus • Phoenix 602-286-8130 May–July Ages: 6–12 leia.wilson@gatewaycc.edu www.gatewaycc.edu/discover

chooses, all girls will have fun, build skills, and make memories! Not a Girl Scout? Not a problem! All girls are invited and welcome.

Four Camps • Phoenix, Prescott, Payson 602-452-7000 June-Aug. Girlscoutsaz.org/camp

Choose Your Camp Adventure!

Count on Girl Scouts for a summer of risktaking, fun and friendship. For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has been getting girls outdoors to discover nature, develop their inner strength and connect with others.

Choose from hundreds of affordable sessions, including day and family camps, at our four locations across the state. From making new friends, leading songs, performing on stage, to science, creative arts, rope courses, airplanes and backpacking treks –every twist and turn of camp holds opportunities for all girls to shine. Our Girl Scout camps are some of the most affordable and a great value for girls and families. No matter which adventure she

19

IMAGINE THAT! SUMMER CAMP

Summer 2019

GateWay Community College now offers a dynamic summer camp experience for children ages 6-12 years old. Your child will have the opportunity to experience eight weeks of excitement through crafts, field trips and themed activities. Each week children will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of activities that will help them create memories to last a lifetime.

GIRL SCOUTS — ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE COUNCIL

BEAR 40 YEARS

Celebrating 40 years of fun!

4455 E. Lincoln Dr. , Paradise Valley

HERITAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 6805 N. 125th Ave. 520-661-2775 • Glendale Ages: 3–12 Contact: Justin Dye $160/week, DES eligible www.HESGlendale.org jdye@hesglendale.org

480-570-5234 imaginethatsummercamp.com Over 30+ camps for 3-11 year olds in the arts, American Girl, Sciences, Sports and Action/Adventure

Get ready for a summer full of fun! Heritage Summer Camp, for ages 3-12, will keep kids—and their brains—busy from May 28-July 12, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The camp is operated by After School Success, LLC, with all activities fully supervised by certified teachers. The weekly rate of $160 includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, computers, arts and crafts, sports, swimming, drama and music, academic enrichment, games, and field trips! Heritage Summer Camp is DES eligible, making it accessible to more families.

Serious Fun. Ageappropriate activities for kids designed for maximum fun and ongoing skill development.

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 20

Call or schedule your free class online

The Little Gym of Paradise Valley

4848 E. Cactus Rd. #510 • Scottsdale, AZ 602-996-1380 • tlgparadisevalleyaz.com

20

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2019

www.bearessentialnews.com

Summer 2019 CAMP GUIDE Continued from page 19

IMAGINE THAT! SUMMER CAMP

Paradise Valley • 480-570-5234 Mon-Thursday (June 3-June 20) & M-Friday (June 24-July 5) Session 1: 9 a.m.-noon $300. & 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $530./per 3-week session Session 2: 9 a.m.-noon $250. & 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $445./per 2-week session Jump Start classes begin at 8:00 a.m Bev@imaginethatsummercamp.com imaginethatsummercamp.com Elementary 7-11: American Girl, Dance: The Greatest Showman, Young Mad Scientist, Kids’ Concoctions, Indoor Sports Zone, Fine Arts, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Play-Well Teknology: Lego, Crazy Cup Cake Wars, Invention Tinkering, News Reporters, Hogwarts, Gymnastics and more!

5 & 6 year old camps: STEAM: Dinosaurs, STEAM: Fairy Tales, Mixtures, Showtime for the Young, Princesses, Structures, Construction, Star Wars, Junior Chef, Young Investigators, Gymnastics, Play-Well Teknology: Legos & more!

3 & 4 year : theme based camps available

THE LITTLE GYM OF PARADISE VALLEY AND SCOTTSDALE 4848 E Cactus Rd. • Scottsdale 602-996-1380 May 20–Aug. 9 • Ages: 3–12 years tlgparadisevalleyaz@thelittlegym.com www.tlgparadisevalleyaz.com

Get in the summer spirit with the Little Gym of Paradise Valley! Enroll in our Summer Camp programs today!

Flexible programs for kids ages 3-12. Call or text to learn more and enroll today! We can’t wait to spend our summer with you!

MARICOPA COUNTY READS

Beginning May 1st maricopacountyreads.org For more information about this reading program, visit your local library!

While you’re there, go on a journey of discovery! Visit fabulous destinations such as Hogwarts, Narnia, Oz, and Middle Earth!

April 2019 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

PHOENIX CENTER FOR THE ARTS SUMMER CAMP 1202 N. 3rd St. • Phoenix 602-254-3100 info@phoenixcenterforthearts.org phoenixcenterforthearts.org

Does your child need something AWESOME to do over the long, hot summer? We offer two-week camp sessions so your child can dance, sing, draw and dramatize the summer away! Ages 5-12. Lunch is provided! Camps are now available at our downtown Phoenix and north Phoenix locations.

2019 Summer Camp Dates: Session 1: 6/3/2019 – 6/14/2019 Session 2: 6/17/2019 – 6/28/2019 Session 3: 7/08/2019 – 7/19/2019 Session 4: 7/22/2019 – 8/2/2019 Time: 9 a.m. - 4pm, Monday - Friday Before and after care available.

Early bird price (on or before May 3): = $325 per 2-week session Regular price (beginning May 4) = $375 per 2-week session Discounts available for additional siblings.

PHOENIX SPORTS CENTER 3839 W. Indian School Rd. • Phoenix 602-269-6766 May 6–July 19 pscsoccer.com www.soccerlocker.net

Escape the summer heat and come play indoor soccer! Great for kids ages 2–15.

Pee Wee Program starts June 1; $60 for 8

weeks. Players recieve a Camp T-shirt with their name. Youth Program for ages 5–14 begins May 10–July 19; $135 for 10 weeks.

Includes jersey, games and practices, or $745 per team. Upon registration, get 15% discount in the soccer retail store. (Max 19 players).

PLAY-WELL TEKnologies Various locations • Phoenix

602-317-7448 Ages: 5–12 June 3–July 26

Jennifer@play-well.org www.play-well.org/camps-2019.php Dream it, build it, wreck it, repeat in our LEGO-inspired engineering camps!

Campers learn about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math while playing with LEGO. Kids will engineer interesting projects, engage in critical thinking, work collaboratively and explore STEM concepts.

Let your child’s imagination run wild with over 20,000 LEGO pieces. Camps include themes such as Star Wars, Minecraft, Harry Potter, Super Heroes and Robotics. We have many camp locations in Phoenix and

the surrounding areas. Visit our website to find a camp near you - www.play-well.org.

We also offer birthday parties, afterschool enrichment and girl scout programs!

THEATER WORKS PEORIA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

10580 N. 83rd DR. • Peoria 623-815-7930 www.theaterworks.org Theater Works’ Summer Works camps are the perfect summer activity for kids ages 3-18 who love theater or who want a fun, creative summer activity. There are Summer Works classes for all skill levels, indulging the just-for-fun campers and those who want to hone their acting and musical theater skills.

With many camp themes, from Broadway to Superheroes, Madagscar to Sleeping Beauty and the Beast, boys and girls alike will have a fun-filled, creative summer.

TUTOR TIME

26 locations Valley-wide 977-794-6704 www.tutortime.com Camp One-of-a-Kind offers a full day summer camp with activities and exciting themes that may include science, zoology, art, games, theater and STEM learning. Also includes immersive field trips, educational experiences, cool gear and healthy meals. This year, we’re offering a new Preschool and Pre-K camp, designed for 3 and 4-year olds with special themes.

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 22

BEAR 40 YEARS

21

Summer Camps!

SPORTS Trampoline Park and Gymnastics Center

ACTIONPACKED SUMMER FUN!

Wiggles & Giggles Ages: 3–5 • May 22–August 9 Weekly Camps • Mon. Wed. & Fri. $85: 9am–12pm

Going Bananas

Ages: 5–12 • May 21 –August 9 Weekly Camps $150 Half day week/ 9am–12pm or 1–4pm $240 Full day week/ 9am–4pm

Call 602-277-0067 to register! www.flipdunksports.com 1515 E. Bethany Home Rd.

22

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2019

Summer

Volume 40 • Issue 8

2019 CAMP GUIDE Continued from page 21

WASEWAGAN ON THE RIVER 42121 Seven Oaks Road Andrew Oaks, CA 92305 805-498-5572 June 9–Aug 3 Ages: 5–16 adventures@wasewagan.com www.wasewagan.com

Beat the heat at Wasewagan On The River…

Enjoy the cool mountain air while being surrounded by loads of fun and adventure!

We offer many different activities such as Archery, Riflery, Fencing, Paintball, High Ropes Course and many more. Each camper gets to choose their own special fieldtrips which includes Stand-up Paddle boarding, Alpine Waterslides, Roller skating to name a few. Scouting packages available.

Contact us today for more information and a FREE brochure! 805-498-5572.

WAYBRIGHT TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY 9825 E. Bell Rd. #110 • Scottsdale 480-331-7660 Ages: 9–17 www.waybright.com

TECH CAMPS: Coding, Build Your Own PC Mobile Apps, Java, C++/C#, 3D Animation, Wearable Technology, Unity, 3D Engineering

Game Engine, Modding and Fashion Design.

WILDLIFE WORLD SAFARI CAMP 2019

602-321-5478 • Kristy June 17 -21 & July 15 -19 • 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Ages 7 - 12 • Lunch provided kristymorcom@wildlifeworld.com www.wildlifeworld.com Safari Camp is unlike any other camp, giving your child the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with exotic animals. With Arizona’s largest exotic animal collection, Safari Camp will give your child the chance to explore their passion and have an unforgettable summer.

Your Jr. Zoo Keeper will experience Safari Camp exclusives that are NOT available to the general public!

Safari Camp includes: Exotic animal training, Sea Lion encounter, Animal feedings & interactions, Ostrich egg painting & other fun crafts, Wildlife Education, Create and provide enrichment for animals, Explore rides daily, Learn about careers in the zoological field, Behind the Scenes tours and much more.

Price $500 per child—Spots are reserved on a first come-first served basis. Each camper receives a goody bag, exclusive pictures & free kid passes. Only 25 spots available!

Sign up online.

An Award-Winning Arizona Original for Kids & Families Editor & Publisher

Sales Director & Publisher

Stephen B Gin

Nancy Holmes

City Editor

YR Coordinator

Copy Editor

Art Director

Mike Loghry

Gary Shepard

Renee Griffith

Julie Madden

Bear Essential News for Kids®

is published monthly by Kids’ View Communications Corp. to educate, enrich and entertain children and their families.

For over 35, years the content of this newspaper has been designed to promote reading and writing skills as well as creativity. Classroom educators are welcome to reproduce any portion of this newspaper for their students. Call or fax Kids’ View Communications for any additional information on stories.

Call toll free: 1-866-639-7543 for any editorial or advertising inquiries.

©2019 Kids’ View Communications Corp.—all rights reserved 2525 E. Broadway Blvd., #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 Fax (520)792-2580 Bear Essential News is distributed free each month.

Empowering Kids for a Brighter Future!

BearEssentialNews.com Printed with recycled newsprint.

ENDORSED BY THE

Arizona Education Association

Have a field trip or classroom presentation?

Showcase your Special Features in Bear’s Popular August & September

Field Trip Guide!

Call today for more information and to reserve your space!

480-752-2327 BearEssentialNews.com click on “Guides”

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

April 2019 •

BEAR 40 YEARS

23

Get a Sneak Peek at Girl Scout Summer Camp at Open House Adventure awaits every girl at Girl Scout summer camp! Any girl can go to one of four fabulous camp locations, and there are so many different activities to try.

Girls can cowgirl up and get ready to ride and learn basic horse care at Camp Maripai in Prescott. Or they might navigate by map and compass and cook on a camp stove during a backpacking trek at Willow Springs. They can paddle a canoe on the pake at Shadow Rim Ranch in Payson. Girls don’t even have to leave Phoenix to have an authentic camp experience—Parson Leadership Center offers a state-of-the-art urban camp facility.

Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council has four open house events scheduled to allow girls and their families to see what each camp has to offer. You can check out any of the four camp locations and facilities, meet the camp directors and try out some fun camp activities.

Check out Girl Scout Summer Camp at these open house events: Shadow Rim Ranch, Payson, AZ May 26 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parsons Leadership Center, Phoenix May 31 • 5–6 p.m.

Willow Springs, Prescott, AZ June 1 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Camp Maripai, Prescott, AZ June 1 • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For information about all the camps offered, visit www.girlscoutsaz.org/camp to view the camp brochure now!

This summer, encourage your girl to unplug from tech and reconnect with her inner spark. She’ll flourish as she meets new challenges, new friends and new adventures. She’ll shine brightly as she discovers her inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) at camp!

Registration for camp sessions are first come, first served. Register online at girlscoutsaz.org/camp.

Join a Troop, Start a Troop or Volunteer!

Visit www.girlscoutsaz.org, email join@girlscoutsaz.org or call 602-452-7040.

EVERY GIRL can become a Girl Scout!

Find out more at girlscoutsaz.org/join

24

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2019

www.bearessentialnews.com